I worked with a client we’ll call Sally. When I arrived, she had moved into a previously occupied condo that was unfurnished. She had a budget and an idea of what to do first. Her thought was to rip out all the carpet and put in new carpeting. This was a five-room condo, and doing that would have eaten up a big chunk of her budget. There was nothing wrong with the carpet; it was in good condition. But it was neutral in color, and Sally wanted color. She felt the carpet was ugly.
Because the carpet still had value from a professional’s perspective, I considered how else to put color into Sally’s home. If she changed the carpet, she would have less to invest in furnishings. One consideration was to add color in other areas of the room: the window treatments—which she would need for privacy and light control—wall coverings, or paint, plus some nice artwork, accessories, and an area rug.
We selected items with colors, patterns, and texture to complete the room layout. Sally got excited about the plan and forgot about replacing the carpet. Once it was all together, she absolutely loved her new home, and she was tickled to still have some investment dollars to spend on other things. Ultimately, it meant we were able to decorate several rooms instead of having to do the whole condo in stages.
If you must make choices based on limited resources, prioritize what you need to make the room look and feel functional and to be happy in it. Make those choices in the context of the whole project. Decide what is first needed to make the room or home useable, and then determine whether a large chunk of your budget is best spent on one aspect.
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